High Peak Borough Council

High Peak Borough Council is the local authority for High Peak, a borough of Derbyshire, England. It forms part of the two-tier system of local government for High Peak, alongside Derbyshire County Council. The administrative base of High Peak Borough Council is split between sites in the towns of Buxton and Glossop. Full council meetings are usually held at the Octagon, Buxton. The whole council is elected once every four years. As of May 2019 the council is controlled by the Labour party.

High Peak Borough Council
Council logo
Type
Type
Leadership
Executive
Leader of Council
Cllr Anthony McKeown, Labour
Deputy Leader of Council
Cllr Damien Greenhalgh, Labour
Mayor of the High Peak
Cllr Ed Kelly
Chief Executive
Andrew Strokes
Structure
22 / 43
16 / 43
3 / 43
2 / 43
Elections
First past the post
Last election
2 May 2019
Next election
4 May 2023
Meeting place

Buxton Town Hall
SK17 6EL

Municipal Buildings, Glossop
SK13 8AF
Full Council meetings are held at the Octagon, Buxton
Website
http://www.highpeak.gov.uk
Footnotes
The council meeting places have changed due to the closure and sale of the council's former base at Chinley[1]

In February 2008, the council formed a strategic alliance with the neighbouring Staffordshire Moorlands District Council, an arrangement where both councils share a number of services and staff to keep costs as low as possible.[2]

History

The High Peak Borough Council was formed on 1 April 1974 by absorbing the municipal boroughs of Buxton and Glossop, the urban districts of New Mills and Whaley Bridge and the rural district of Chapel-en-le-Frith, all of which had previously been in the administrative county of Derbyshire, as well as the rural district of Tintwistle which had been in the administrative county of Cheshire.

At the May 2011 election the Conservative Party lost overall control of the council and it became No overall control, with the Labour Party having the largest number of seats but being short of a majority.

Shortly after taking office in 2007, the Conservative Party implemented a number of policies including contracting out the refuse and recycling services. The contract began in August 2008, and was continued by the succeeding Labour administration.

In June 2009, the ruling Conservative administration took the decision to dispose of the former council headquarters in Chinley, which also housed the location of full council meetings. The Council said that disposal of the site would save £200,000 per year.[3] The site has now been sold.

Administration
See also: High Peak local elections

The Council, made up of 43 councillors, is currently controlled by the Labour, which won 22 seats at the 2019 local election.[4]

Political party Seats
Labour 22
Conservatives 16
Liberal Democrats 3
Green 2

Leadership

The council is run by the "Leader and cabinet" model, where the Leader of the Council – normally leader of the majority party – is selected by fellow councillors, who also select the Executive. At the 2019 local election, the Labour Party gained 5 seats and took control with a majority of 6. Cllr Anthony McKeown became the Leader of the Council and Cllr Damien Greenhalgh became the Deputy Leader of the Council.

Executive

At the 2019 election, the Conservative Party lost its majority control of the council and the Labour and Co-operative Party became the largest party with 22 seats, gaining a majority of 6. The Executive's membership including the Leader and Deputy Leader remained at five councillors.

Role Councillor
Leader of the Council Cllr Anthony McKeown
Deputy Leader of the Council
(and Executive Member for Regeneration, Tourism and Leisure)		 Cllr Damien Greenhalgh
Executive Member for Housing and Licensing Cllr Fiona Sloman
Executive Member for Finance Cllr Alan Barrow
Executive Member for Climate Change, Environment and Community Safety Cllr Jean Todd

Previous Administrations

From 2003 to 2007 the Leader was David Lomax of the Liberal Democrats. In 2007, after the Conservatives gained control of the council, John Faulkner was elected to the post, but he resigned less than a year later and Deputy Leader Tony Ashton took over as Leader.

From 2011 to 2015 the Leader was Caitlin Bisknell, after the Labour Party gained control with a minority administration.

At the 2015 local election, Tony Ashton became the Leader of High Peak Borough Council and Tony Kemp became the Deputy Leader, after the Conservative Party gained control with a majority of 3.

Mayor of the Borough of High Peak

The current Mayor is Cllr Ed Kelly, who was elected as Mayor of High Peak for 2019/2020 and subsequently for 2020/2021. Unusually Cllr Kelly's term as Mayor has been extended for a second consecutive year due issues relating to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Predecessors include:

  • Cllr Ed Kelly, Mayor of High Peak for 2019/2020
  • Cllr Linda Grooby, Mayor of High Peak for 2018/2019
  • Cllr Matt Stone, Mayor of High Peak for 2017/2018
  • Cllr Stuart Young, Mayor of High Peak for 2015/16
  • Cllr Alan Barrow, Mayor of High Peak for 2014/15
  • Cllr Tony Kemp, Mayor of High Peak for 2013/14
  • Cllr Pat Jenner, Mayor of High Peak for 2012/13
  • Cllr David Lomax, Mayor of High Peak for 2011/12
  • Cllr Graham Oakley, Mayor of High Peak for 2010/11

Electoral wards and councillors

Below is a list of all 43 serving councillors:[5][6][7]

Ward Political Party Councillor
Barms Labour Party Rachael QUINN
Blackbrook Conservative Party Eve BURTON
Caroline HOWE
Burbage Labour and Co-operative Party Madeleine HALL
Conservative Party Samantha FLOWER
Buxton Central Labour Party Jean TODD
Matthew STONE
Chapel East Conservative Party Jim PERKINS
Chapel West Conservative Party Kath SIZELAND
Stewart YOUNG
Corbar Conservative Party Clive JOHNSON
Tony KEMP
Cote Heath Conservative Party Linda GROOBY
Colin Boynton
Dinting Conservative Party Jean WHARMBY
Gamesley Labour and Co-operative Party Anthony MCKEOWN
Hadfield North Labour Party Ed KELLY
Hadfield South Labour Party Bob MCKEOWN
Edward SIDDALL
Hayfield Conservative Party Peter EASTER
Hope Valley Green Charlotte FARREL
Joanna COLLINS
Howard Town Labour Party Rachel ABBOTTS
Labour and Cooperative Party Damien GREENHALGH
Limestone Peak Conservative Party Daren ROBINS
New Mills East Labour Party Ian HUDDLESTONE
Alan BARROW
New Mills West Labour and Co-operative Party Lance DOWSON
Liberal Democrats Ray ATKINS
Old Glossop Conservative Party Jamie DOUGLAS
Paul HARDY
Padfield Labour Party Ollie CROSS
Sett Conservative Party Tony ASHTON
Simmondley Labour Party Stewart GARDNER
John HAKEN
St John's Conservative Party George WHARMBY
Stone Bench Labour Party David KERR
Fiona SLOMAN
Temple Conservative Party Emily THRANE
Tintwistle Labour Party Rob BAKER
Whaley Bridge Labour Party Kath THOMSON
Labour Party Shannon-Kate THOMSON
Liberal Democrats David LOMAX
Whitfield Labour Party Graham OAKLEY

Sources
  • "Councillors". High Peak Borough Council. 15 April 2014. Retrieved 3 December 2015.

References
  1. "For sale signs go up at council complex". Buxton Advertiser. 27 May 2010. Retrieved 28 August 2010.
  2. "Tenders and contracts". Staffordshire Moorlands District Council. Archived from the original on 15 August 2016. Retrieved 9 July 2016.
  3. "Chinley offices closure deadline". Buxton Advertiser. 1 April 2010. Retrieved 3 December 2015.
  4. "High Peak Borough Council - Elections". Archived from the original on 15 May 2007. Retrieved 11 May 2007.
  5. "High Peak Borough Council - High Peak Borough Council Wards". Archived from the original on 16 May 2007. Retrieved 15 May 2007.
  6. "High Peak Borough Council - Borough Council Election Results 2011". High Peak Borough Council. 6 May 2011. Archived from the original on 9 May 2011. Retrieved 7 May 2011.
  7. "High Peak Borough – Wards and their Councillors". High Peak Borough Council. Archived from the original on 11 May 2008. Retrieved 26 June 2010.
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